Rody to talk to riot cop, rallyists

MANILA, Philippines - After the violent rally dispersal in front of the US embassy last Wednesday, President Duterte disclosed Friday night he would do the “questioning” himself about the incident over a cup of coffee with the police.

“I would like to know what really happened,” Duterte said, adding: “I do not want a quarrel…we should stop it because we are talking and we are all Filipinos. I do not want anybody hurt there. Not the police, not the young militants.”

“I will try to talk to the police, invite him for coffee and I will talk to the activists,” he said, referring to Police Officer 3 Franklin Kho.

Duterte said demonstrations must be done “with civility” and not with the police “swaggering and beating” people and protesters throwing things at the police.

“I do not like these things happening during my administration… Everybody is progressing. Whether it’s in China, Japan… Here we seem to be fighting like children,” he said.

Video footage showed that Kho was driving a van that backed up into and ran over several protesters on Wednesday. Water cannons, truncheons and tear gas were used by other law enforcers to break up the rally.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, Duterte said he would also order the police to stop arming policemen with M16 rifles during dispersal operations.

While saying that he was not justifying the policemen’s action, Duterte said Kho and his companion feared for their lives when the incident happened.

“The police said they were frightened because they were cornered. There were just two of them in the crowd (and) they were surrounded by a group of militants…maybe he (Kho) was stressed (thinking) they might gang up on him, hurt him. And so he acted on instinct of self preservation,” the President pointed out.

Duterte also said there was really no intention to kill on the part of the police.

“This is what I have been saying all along. Even in war, even in everything – it is always miscalculation,” Duterte said.

Based on reports, the demonstrators were trying to topple the van that Kho was driving when the incident happened.

Erap backs police

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada defended yesterday the members of the Manila Police District (MPD), led by its ground commander Senior Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo, for standing their ground against the rallyists.

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada said the rallyists who staged their protest “without permit” should be the ones charged.

“They (Pedrozo’s group) should be lauded instead of being vilified. Their only fault was they did their job,” Estrada said, adding the people should lift the morale of the police who were doing their job well.

He said he would request Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa to retain Pedrozo in MPD.

Dela Rosa ordered an investigation and full review of the police procedures to find out who should be sanctioned over the violent dispersal of the protesters.

He also directed National Capital Region Police Office regional director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde to place Pedrozo and the other police officers involved under administrative relief to ensure impartiality in the investigation.

Albayalde earlier said the nine police officers have been relieved from their posts and transferred to NCRPO Regional Headquarters Service.

In addition, 40 others have been placed under restrictive custody at the MPD. –Giovanni Nilles, Edith Regalado, Jose Rodel Clapano